Year in Review: Has anyone seen “Jhonny Peralta, power hitter”? One year after launching 23 home runs and posting an ISO near .200, Peralta's pop went MIA. Jhonny jacked only 11 homers in 2009, as his ISO plummeted to .120. He drew walks and struck out at rates commensurate with his career averages, but he chopped the ball into the dirt more than ever before. Peralta posted a ground-ball rate in excess of 50%, compared to 44% in 2008. Consequently, his fly ball-rate fell from 36% in '08 to 30% this past season. More worm-killers and fewer drives to the outfield… that's a disastrous recipe for power numbers. Peralta handled breaking pitches well, with positive run values against curveballs and sliders. However, he was dominated by fastballs and changeups, posting one of the 10 lowest run values in baseball when a pitcher threw heat or pulled the string.

The Year Ahead: In the middle of what is supposed to be the peak of his career, Peralta laid an egg in 2009. With the emergence of Asdrubal Cabrera, Peralta was mainly deployed at third base. Luckily for fantasy owners, Jhonny still appeared at shortstop enough to qualify in most fantasy league formats. This means that he has multi-position eligibility entering 2010. It's difficult to know what to expect from Peralta offensively, as the 27-year-old has been all over the map during his career. Since 2005, his wOBA has ebbed and flowed from '05's .376 to ‘09's paltry .304. Owners would be wise to expect something between those two extremes in 2010. A career .266/.331/.425 hitter, Peralta is neither a huge offensive threat nor the weak batter who got the lumber knocked out of his hands this past year. (David Golebiewski)

Profile: Jhonny Peralta showed plenty of promise as a 23-year-old in 2005, and then had a few more good years in Cleveland. But in the past two years he has dropped off considerably. He still has decent power for a shortstop, but he probably won't break the 20 home-run barrier, especially playing in Detroit's Comerica Park. His batting average has also been poor in recent years, so he's certainly a back-end shortstop. The real bet with Peralta is whether his batting average will rebound to the .275 to .280 range, or whether he's stuck around .250. The answer to that question will reveal much about his value. That's certainly not an early-round gamble. (Joe Pawlikowski)

The Quick Opinion: While Jhonny Peralta has had a number of good years, he has been below average for the past couple. His new home in Detroit could further suppress his offensive numbers.

Profile: Peralta enjoyed success the likes of which had been absent from his stat sheet since 2008 last season, posting a line of .299/.345/.478 with 21 home runs. His batting average on balls in play rose from .275 in 2010 to .325 in 2011, but that second figure is actually closer to this career line of .315, and isn’t simply due to a streak of good luck. Peralta swung at fewer pitches out of zone than he had in past years, and made contact with fewer of the out-of-zone pitches he did swing at. While that means a few more swinging strikes -- something he made up for by missing fewer pitches in the zone -- it also means he wasn’t putting the ball in play with poor contact. Expect similar home run numbers and a decent batting average, though perhaps not quite pushing .300 again, making Peralta a good option if you want power instead of speed from your shortstop. (Dan Wade)

The Quick Opinion: Shortstop can be a great position for speedsters, but grabbing Peralta could open up the option of filling the outfield spots with undervalued stolen base options. Peralta is good in his own right, but his biggest asset may be the flexibility he gives owners.

Profile: After two forgettable seasons from 2009 to 2010, Peralta got himself back on the fantasy radar with a strong 2011. Then 2012 happened and he reminded us how inconsistent he continues to be. While he is making better contact now than he had during his first couple of years in the majors, his batting average on balls in play and home run per fly ball ratio have been up and down over recent seasons. That makes it much more difficult to confidently predict what he will do this upcoming season. With a return to the 40%+ fly ball rate level and another jump in HR/FB rate, he could revisit 20 home runs. But, that might be too much to ask for. His batted ball profile seems favorable for BABIP though, so that should rebound. (Mike Podhorzer)

The Quick Opinion: Coming off his best offensive performance since 2005, Peralta was a bust last season, disappointing many a fantasy owner. His batting average on balls in play and power continue to oscillate, and a return to the 20 home run days may be a long shot unless he can push his fly ball rate above 40% again.

Profile: Peralta became a regular major leaguer in 2005. Since that time, only three shortstops have hit more home runs -- Hanley Ramirez, J.J. Hardy and Troy Tulowitzki. He has hit at least 11 homers in each of those nine seasons, and averaged 17. And while Peralta repeatedly fails the eye test, his defensive metrics are at least average across the board. If there's a concern going forward, it's that Peralta's strikeout rate increased last season. If that trend continues, it might not affect Peralta's power, but it will affect his ability to maintain a respectable batting average. Either way, his average is likely to drop in 2014. In 2013, he posted a .374 batting average on balls in play, which was easily a career high. Entering 2013, his career BABIP was .310, and if he should gravitate back towards that number this season. If he does, and his strikeouts continue to pile up, his average could hover around the Mendoza line, which would certainly dampen his fantasy outlook. This is why his overall offensive value tends to shift from year to year, but taking the long view, Peralta is still successful. Over the past three seasons, his 109 wRC+ ranks fifth among qualified shortstops. Peralta might not be the best player out there, but he's comfortably in that second tier.

The Quick Opinion: Not too many shortstops have had the consistency that Peralta has. He has changed teams, but he finds himself in a comparable -- if not better -- situation than he was in the past few seasons. Peralta certainly is not the best shortstop in the game, but he's a reliable second-tier option.

Profile: Jhonny Peralta has been one of the most consistent shortstops in baseball in his career. Since his first full season in 2005, Peralta has hit at least 11 home runs every season and 20 or more in five of those 10 seasons, including 2014. he broke into the majors at a young age, so he’s still just 32 years old. There’s little reason to expect an imminent decline. Peralta offers no speed and limited RBI and run potential in the bottom third of the Cardinals’ order, but his power, decent average, and consistency makes him a solid middle infield option in standard formats. (Scott Spratt)

The Quick Opinion: Peralta is as consistent a shortstop as you can find in baseball. He has hit 11 or more home runs in each of the previous 10 seasons. His lack of speed limits his upside, but his downside is also limited, which makes him a solid middle infield option in standard formats.

Profile: By wins above replacement, Peralta is coming off his worst season since 2010. His usual plus defense turned into a negative, declining from 12 runs above average in 2014 to seven runs below average in 2015. The 33-year-old was still a model of consistency at the plate, but his was actually a tale of two halves. Through the All-Star Break, Peralta posted a 127 weighted runs created plus. Afterwards, he managed a weak 74 wRC+. He looked like a guy who was slowed by a minor injury, although it's unclear if that was the case. Now officially in his mid-30's, Peralta may need a few more days on the bench in order to stay on top of his game. When he's healthy, expect decent power, contact, and defensive skills. (Brad Johnson)

The Quick Opinion: Peralta is a quietly productive shortstop. He doesn't look the part of a solid defender, but he's usually well above average. Last season was an exception, and his offense also trailed off in the second half of the season. Perhaps he was playing hurt.

Profile: In his first season with the Cardinals back in 2014, Jhonny Peralta hit 21 homers. In 2015, he hit a respectable 17 homers despite a rough second half. Last year the bottom fell out for the soon-to-be 35-year-old shortstop turned third baseman. In spring training Peralta suffered a wrist injury that cost him the first several months of the season. Wrist injuries often linger, sapping strength, and that proved to be true for Peralta. He did manage eight homers in 313 plate appearances, so double-digit homers is still a possibility if he played a full season. Playing a full season is another issue. Aledmys Diaz ran with the shortstop job in Peralta's absence last season, moving Peralta to third base. If the Cardinals end up prioritizing Kolten Wong's playing time at second base, Peralta could be in a fight for time with Jedd Gyorko, who hit 30 homers last season. Peralta was an underrated player for a while with decent pop for a shortstop, but he's never been a high-average guy and he doesn't steal bases. He's probably looking at 10-15 homers, 50-60 runs and RBI and around a .260 average. Whether it is at shortstop (he only started/played seven games there) or third, there are other, higher upsides to take a chance on, and other more reliable players if you are looking for a high floor. (Craig Edwards)

The Quick Opinion: Jhonny Peralta's time as a mid-tier shortstop has come and gone. He might hit double digits in homers, but you can't expect much more than that.

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